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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · bear · rock · capital · scale · drill · bowl · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. capital — money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com